air quality

Fall and football season are in full swing, and Halloween is hiding right around the corner. While the cooler temperatures are a relief from the oppressive heat in LaGrange, Georgia, allergy sufferers aren’t rejoicing for joy just yet. To improve your quality of life and breathe easier at home this fall, keep your home’s air as clean as possible.

Change Your Air Filter to Deter Dust Buildup

Your HVAC system’s filter cleans the air that circulates throughout it, trapping and holding many types of particles that impact health and comfort. This includes dust, pollen and pet dander. But when it’s filthy, it pushes those contaminants right back into your home. To avoid polluted indoor air, change your air filter at least every three months.
In the news: Scientists have recently found that household dust harbors toxic chemicals that have been linked to an increased risk to cancer in adults and developmental problems in babies. The toxic chemicals are shed from a range of common household items, including electrical goods, beauty products and cleaning supplies.

Eliminate Ragweed With an Air Cleaner

If you’re an allergy sufferer, you likely already know how much ragweed can haunt you during the fall. During its peak growing season, a single ragweed plant produces a billion pollen grains, which can travel up to 400 miles in the wind. While an HVAC filter helps reduce allergy symptoms, an air cleaner works even harder to eliminate ragweed.

Use a Whole-Home Dehumidifier to Prevent Mold

Georgia is known for its hot summers that increase at-home humidity. Too much humidity in your home can encourage mold growth. High humidity can also make your HVAC system work harder and cost you more in monthly utility costs. With a whole-home dehumidifier, you’ll ensure your home’s humidity is within a healthy range of 40 to 60 percent.

If you have allergies, Georgia springtime pollen can be insufferable, yet the EPA tells us that outdoor air is much cleaner and fresher than indoor air. Because we spend most of our time inside, we can be bombarded by high concentrations of indoor allergens all day long. Nausea, headaches, coughing, fatigue, burning eyes, respiratory and sinus infections and frequent colds and flu can all be byproducts of indoor air pollution. Today’s tightly-sealed buildings and the lack of ventilation have made poor indoor air quality a fact of life. Fortunately, help is available. Here are two good reasons why an air purifier can benefit you and why having one in your LaGrange home might be a good idea:

1. Protection From Microbes

Bacteria and viruses are two common microbial indoor air contaminants. They can cause colds, flu, infections and other illnesses. Pollen can trigger allergic reactions. Mold is a microbe that releases spores into the air. The spores can cause lung infections, wheezing and other breathing difficulties.

2. Protection From Other Airborne Toxins

Dust mites are microscopic insects that live in dust and can cause skin rashes.
Dander and pet fur can trigger allergic reactions and irritate your eyes, nose and throat.
Secondhand cigarette smoke is almost as toxic as if you were smoking yourself.
Building materials like asbestos and lead can and do cause serious and long-term health problems.
VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are gasses released by common household cleaning agents, pesticides, permanent markers, printers, paint, glue, paneling, adhesives, upholstered furniture, new carpeting, plywood, fiberboard, particleboard and photocopiers. VOCs are toxic and can irritate your eyes, nose, throat and lungs; they can cause dizziness, headaches and nausea over the short term or cancer and CNS damage down the road.

The Carrier Infinity® Air Purifier traps and zaps 95 percent of pathogens in your indoor air. To learn more about it, visit Airforce Heating & Air or contact us.

When you operate an aging air conditioner, you might naturally expect a decrease in the effectiveness over time. However, the reality is that AC maintenance actually provides you with the ability to improve not only the cooling efficiency of your system but also the indoor air quality of your LaGrange, Georgia home. Maintenance should be scheduled during the spring months to ensure that your equipment is optimized prior to the onset of summer’s heat. Following are three ways in which preventive maintenance improves comfort levels in your home.

Maximum Cooling Ability

Many facets of your air conditioner can inhibit the ability of the system to efficiently remove heat from the indoor air, a necessity for delivering cool air throughout your residence. Dirty coils, for example, create a barrier that prevents the heat transfer needed to treat the air. A refrigerant leak can prevent proper cooling activity as well. During AC maintenance, your technician will clean coils and other parts that are prone to collecting dust and grime. Additionally, your technician will check for refrigerant problems. Each of these issues can affect your system’s energy efficiency by 15 percent or more, another incentive for making preventive maintenance an annual priority.

Better Air Movement

Clogged evaporator coils and dirty ducts can affect your home’s IAQ as well as your comfort. Even if your air conditioner cools your air supply to the desired temperature, a weak airflow can interfere with your home’s comfort levels. As your maintenance technician cleans coils and inspects ducts, you can benefit from a stronger flow of cool air as your system operates. Further, your technician could identify broken parts that may interfere with moving air efficiently through your structure. This service allows these issues to be identified and corrected.

Improved Humidity Management

High humidity levels in your home also affect comfort and even health. As humidity increases, you will feel warmer in spite of cooling activity. A clean and well-tuned air conditioner will promote dehumidification, which means that the indoor air temperature will feel cooler so you avoid the urge to reduce the temperature on the thermostat, thus saving energy.
You can learn more about our AC maintenance plans, or contact our office to schedule an appointment today.